Report: Next Kindle Fire Will Look Better, Weigh Less

Say goodbye to the current Kindle Fire display and hello to more pixels. Photo: Jon Snyder/Wired

Another day passes, and a new bit of information concerning Amazon’s next-gen Kindle Fire leaks onto the internet. The yet-to-be-announced tablet is becoming the worst-kept secret in technology — assuming, of course, that all these information leaks are true.

On Sunday, AllThingsD reported that Amazon was working on a higher-resolution Kindle Fire that would be lighter than the current tablet. The easier-to-look-at-and-hold Fire is expected to launch late in the third quarter, ATD reports, according to “sources familiar with Amazon’s plans.”

The display of the summer-bound tablet will reportedly leap from 1024×600 to 1280×800. This resolution increase would put the Fire on par with the display of the Nexus 7, which we’ve lauded as the best 7-inch tablet available. The new display would deliver a crisp 216 pixels per inch, representing a 67 percent increase in total pixel density. It’s not a Retina display, but it’s a significant upgrade.

The upgraded display, however, wouldn’t be without its issues: The tablet’s aspect ratio would change from 10:6 to 16:10, but Amazon has reportedly reached out to developers to get them ready for the update.

While developers figure out the native resolution of their apps, customers will be happy to learn that Amazon is reportedly working on reducing the weight of the Kindle Fire, making it thinner. Recent rumors also have the Kindle Fire dropping its plastic external chassis for a metal case.

With the Nexus 7 shipping from Google in July, and a rumored 7-inch iPad on the way this fall, it’s in Amazon’s best interest to step up its Kindle Fire offering.